Speare's Brickworks
Speare's Brickworks was a historic Australian brick and pipe manufacturer whose steam-powered St Peters works helped supply Sydney's nineteenth- and early twentieth-century urban expansion.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Speare's Brickworks was an Australian brick and pipe manufacturer associated primarily with St Peters and Tempe in the inner west of Sydney, New South Wales. The enterprise originated in 1869 as Goodsell's Brickworks in Newtown. Its founding site was significant in the industrial history of Sydney because it was described as the city's first fully steam-powered brick factory. Rather than relying principally on hand moulding and small-scale yard production, the works used steam-driven machinery to process local shale clay and manufacture bricks on an industrial scale. The original operation pioneered the use of shale clay from the St Peters district. Its equipment included clay crushers, pug mills and brick presses, with coal-fired kilns and associated drying and processing facilities. These mechanized methods enabled output of as many as 15,000 bricks per day, making the works an important supplier during periods of rapid urban growth. The plant produced what were described as “shale plastic” bricks, using the tough clay shale characteristic of the area. The works also expanded into clay pipes and related products, allowing it to serve both building construction and infrastructure projects. In 1891, during an economic downturn, Peter Speare acquired the plant, which was then known as the Newtown Steam Brickworks. The business subsequently became known as Speare's Brickworks. Speare's continued production during the 1890s, supplying bricks for Sydney's expanding built environment. Peter Speare died in June 1897, after which his widow, Sarah Speare, assumed management. Her stewardship kept the enterprise operating and extended its role as an infrastructure supplier. In the early twentieth century, the business obtained government supply contracts for clay bricks and pipes used in public works, including stormwater drainage and construction associated with Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The St Peters works faced increasing pressure as its nearby clay resources were exhausted. The company supplemented local material with shale transported from a quarry at Kingsgrove, but the original site became less viable. In 1912, Peter and Sarah Speare's son Ernest Loftus Speare opened Speare's Brick and Pipe Works at Tempe, where access to additional clay resources supported continued manufacturing. World War I and the depletion of the St Peters clay pit contributed to a reduction of activity at the original plant. Brickmaking at St Peters ended around 1916, although the Tempe operation continued for decades. The Tempe business was formally incorporated in the 1930s as Speare's Tempe Brick, Tile and Pipe Works Ltd. It became the principal manufacturing base while the St Peters site increasingly represented the historical identity of the enterprise. The Tempe yard finally closed in the 1970s after its sale to Penfolds winemakers. The former St Peters brickworks land was later reclaimed and converted into a public park, Camdenville Park, by 1957. The remaining site is regarded as a local landmark and a reminder of Sydney's nineteenth-century brickmaking and industrial development. The business itself is defunct, but its historical importance derives from the combination of early steam-powered manufacture, shale-clay technology, family management and participation in Sydney's public and private construction boom.
History
Speare's Brickworks developed from Goodsell's Brickworks, established in 1869 at Newtown in Sydney. The original plant was notable for being Sydney's first fully steam-powered brick factory. Its adoption of steam-driven machinery marked a transition from small, manually operated brickmaking yards to more industrial production. The works processed shale clay from the St Peters district using crushers, pug mills and brick presses, and fired the finished products in coal-powered kilns. Its reported capacity of up to 15,000 bricks per day gave it a scale suited to Sydney's rapid nineteenth-century growth. The factory's material and technical identity came from the local shale deposits. The works manufactured “shale plastic” bricks from tough clay shale, while its mechanized equipment allowed the raw material to be prepared and formed more consistently than in hand-moulded production. The site included deep open clay pits, processing buildings, drying sheds, kilns and tall chimneys. As the business expanded, it also made clay pipes and developed additional facilities to support pipe and related ceramic production. In 1891, Peter Speare purchased the plant during an economic downturn. At the time it was also known as the Newtown Steam Brickworks; under Speare ownership it became associated with the name Speare's Brickworks. The company continued operating through the 1890s and supplied bricks for Sydney's urban development. Peter Speare died in June 1897. His widow, Sarah Speare, then assumed management and maintained the business. During her period of control, the works secured government supply contracts for bricks and pipes used in public infrastructure, including stormwater drains and work connected with Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The original St Peters clay source gradually became exhausted. Speare's obtained shale from a quarry at Kingsgrove to sustain production, but the need to transport raw material reduced the long-term viability of the original site. In 1912, Ernest Loftus Speare opened a new Speare's Brick and Pipe Works at Tempe, providing access to additional clay resources and creating a more sustainable manufacturing base. The St Peters operation was scaled back during World War I and ceased brickmaking around 1916. The Tempe business continued after the closure of the original works and was formally incorporated during the 1930s as Speare's Tempe Brick, Tile and Pipe Works Ltd. Its product range included bricks, tiles and pipes, and its location on Princes Highway made it the later centre of the enterprise. The Tempe works survived into the 1970s, when the property was sold to Penfolds winemakers. The former St Peters site was subsequently reclaimed. By 1957 it had been converted into Camdenville Park, preserving the location as a public landscape rather than an operating industrial yard. Although Speare's Brickworks no longer operates, the former works remains a notable St Peters landmark. Its historical significance rests on its early use of steam-powered mass production, its contribution to Sydney's building and drainage infrastructure, and its place in the transition from local hand brickmaking to industrial manufacture.
- 1970
Tempe works closes
[1]The Tempe yard closed during the 1970s after being sold to Penfolds winemakers.
- 1957
Former St Peters site converted to public park
[1]The former brickworks land was reclaimed and converted into Camdenville Park by 1957.
- 1930
Tempe business incorporated
[1]The Tempe operation was formally incorporated during the 1930s as Speare's Tempe Brick, Tile and Pipe Works Ltd.
- 1916
St Peters brickmaking ends
[1]Brickmaking at the original St Peters site ceased around this time amid resource depletion and the effects of World War I.
- 1912
Tempe works opened
[1]Ernest Loftus Speare opened Speare's Brick and Pipe Works at Tempe to access new clay resources.
- 1897
Sarah Speare assumes management
[1]Following Peter Speare's death in June, Sarah Speare took over management and continued the business.
- 1891
Peter Speare acquires the works
[1]Peter Speare acquired the plant during an economic downturn, and the Newtown Steam Brickworks became associated with the Speare name.
- 1869
Goodsell's Brickworks established
[1]Goodsell's Brickworks was established in Newtown. The facility became known as Sydney's first fully steam-powered brick factory.
Products and positioning
A mechanized regional brick and pipe manufacturer serving Sydney's construction and public infrastructure markets, distinguished by early steam power and the industrial use of local shale clay.
Bricks · 1869
Shale-plastic bricks
The works' characteristic bricks were made from shale clay associated with the St Peters area. Steam-powered crushers, pug mills and brick presses enabled the material to be prepared and formed at industrial scale, supporting production of up to 15,000 bricks per day.
Pipes and infrastructure products
Clay pipes
Speare's expanded beyond walling bricks into clay pipes, which were supplied for drainage and other public infrastructure applications. Government contracts included products used in stormwater drains and projects associated with Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Building ceramics
Tiles
The later Tempe enterprise operated under the name Speare's Tempe Brick, Tile and Pipe Works Ltd., indicating a broader product range that included tiles alongside bricks and pipes.
Brand decisions
1950
Sale to Brickworks Ltd.M&ABackground
The surviving business continued after the St Peters closure and was later transferred to new ownership.
Action taken
The business was sold to Brickworks Ltd. during the 1950s.
Aftermath
The Tempe operation ultimately continued into the 1970s before the yard was sold to Penfolds winemakers.
1916
Closure of St Peters brickmaking operationsOtherBackground
Resource depletion at the original site and the conditions associated with World War I reduced the viability of the St Peters works.
Action taken
Brickmaking at St Peters ceased around 1916, while the Tempe operation continued.
Aftermath
The St Peters site eventually became public parkland, while the Tempe works remained active for several more decades.
1912
Expansion to TempeStrategyBackground
The original St Peters clay pit was becoming exhausted, and the company had begun importing shale from a Kingsgrove quarry to maintain production.
Action taken
Ernest Loftus Speare opened a new brick and pipe works at Tempe to obtain access to additional clay resources.
Aftermath
Tempe became the longer-term manufacturing base while production at St Peters was later reduced and ended around 1916.
1891
Acquisition of the Newtown worksM&ABackground
The brickworks was available during an economic downturn after operating as Goodsell's Brickworks and the Newtown Steam Brickworks.
Action taken
Peter Speare acquired the plant and continued brickmaking under the Speare name.
Aftermath
The site remained in production through the 1890s and became known as Speare's Brickworks.
Sources1 sources
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